Nathan Blecharczyk, co-founder of Airbnb, built his first software business as a teenager, earning nearly a million dollars before shutting it down to attend Harvard. Years later, Nathan and his roommates turned an air mattress idea into Airbnb, facing investor rejection, financial hardship, and moments when quitting seemed inevitable. From creating satirical cereal boxes to joining Y Combinator after a near-failed interview, Nathan’s story is one of perseverance and resilience. He shares how Airbnb overcame early struggles, scaled globally, and survived COVID-19 to go public successfully.

Nathan Blecharczyk is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Airbnb, where he helped grow the platform from a spare air mattress idea to a $75 billion global travel company. According to Forbes, he is one of the richest people in the world, with a net worth of $9 billion.

In this episode, Ilana and Nathan will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:36) Building a Software Business as a Teen

(05:28) Harvard, First Job, and the Decision to Move West

(11:58) The Birth of AirBed & Breakfast

(15:07) Landing Their  First Guests and Gaining Early Validation

(18:03) Investor Rejection and the Obama O’s Cereal Stunt

(30:45) Applying to Y Combinator and Getting In

(36:29) Finding Evangelists and Meeting Hosts in New York

(42:34) From $200 a Week to $4,200: Airbnb’s First Growth Curve

(44:59) Global Expansion, Competitors, and Building Teams Abroad

(52:22) The 2020 Crisis: COVID, Collapse, and Reinvention

(59:21) The Future of Travel 

Nathan Blecharczyk is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Airbnb, where he helped grow the platform from a spare air mattress idea to a $75 billion global travel company. A Harvard graduate and self-taught programmer, Nathan has been instrumental in Airbnb’s international expansion and strategy, navigating challenges from investor rejection to the COVID-19 crisis. According to Forbes, he is one of the richest people in the world, with a net worth of $9 billion.

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